Brassiere construction



Jan.4, 1949. '2, LVA 2,457,928

BRASSIEHE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1946 wlllm,

, INVENTOR.

HTTOENEY Patented Jan. 4, 1949 BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION Zelta M. Silva, Los Angeles,-Calif., assignor to Tichenor & Ferguson, Los Angeles, Calif., a partnership composed of Colfax C. Tichenor, E. Stirling Ferguson, and Mary L. Smith Application February 25, 1946, Serial K056493311 2 Claims. (01. 2-42) This invention pertains to an improved type of brassire which is adapted to suitably mold, support, and position the breasts of the wearer.

It is the general object of the present invention to disclose and provide a structure which will suitably mold and position the breasts without subjecting them to constrictive or flattening pressure. It is well known that well-developed or large breasts have a tendency to be brought into contact with and be flattened by most brassires so that the separate identity of thebreasts is lost. The construction of the present invention, however, permits the separate identityof the breasts to be retained while at the same time suitable uplift and configuration is imparted. Moreover, these desirable results are attained by the use of limp, flexible, compliant materials and without the use of reenforcement, bones, stays, or other rigid, metallic or plastic inserts.

In addition, the brassire of the present invention may be readily made from a relatively small number of pieces so that the interior surface of the brassire has a minimum number of seams which may chafe the skin or render the brassiere uncomfortable to the wearer.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to disclose and provide a simple, efiicient construction for a brassire.

A further object of the inventioni to disclose and provide a brassire provided with integral strap portions so arranged and positioned as to cooperate with a strap in imparting both upward and outward movement to the breasts of the wearer.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of an exemplary form embodying the construction embraced by this invention. In describing such exemplary form,

reference will be had to the appended drawings, in which Fig, 1 is a front view of the brassire insubstantially the position assumed when the'brassiere is worn.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the apex of the bust pocket of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates pattern formsfor the various sections or elements from which one of the breastreceiving cups of the brassire may be con- 1 structed.

Generally stated, the brassiere of the instant invention includes a pair of preformed,-breastreceiving pockets, a waist band and shoulder straps, as is customary in mostbrassires. By the term preformed breast-receiving pockets reference is made to the cups, each of which is adapted to receive and mold the breast. These pockets or cups are made of compliant, relatively limp, conformable, flexiblematerial such as net, lace, and other fabrics or textiles, and the parts composing each cup are so formed and stitched that they assume a substantially conical or semispherical form, thereby more readily molding the bust without unnecessary or undesirable constriction or pressure thereagainst. The term apex as used hereinafter shall refer to that portion of the cup or pocket in which the nipple is ordinarily contained. The term shoulder strap as used hereinafter shall refer to any continuous or interrupted, adjustable or detachable, unitary or segmental strap member attached to the upper marginal edge of each breast-receiving pocket in a region above the apex thereof and adapted to extend over the shoulder for either permanent or removable connection with the waist band or a rearwardly extending portion of the brassire. The term waist band relates to thatportion of the brassiere which encircles the torso beneath the bust and which is generally provided with releasable connecting means at its ends so as to permit the garment to be tightly positioned around the body. Such waist bands may include one or more sections of elastic material. Waist bands are usually located at the lower edges of the under-arm and other portions of the brassiere.

As shown in. Fig. 1, the brassiere of the present invention comprises two preformed, breast-receiving pockets ill and II, a waist band being indicated atjthe lower edge at [2. In the form of invention shown, the shoulder straps l3 and 14 are provided with suitable adjustment means in the rearportions thereof and include strap portions I5 and I6 which traverse the pockets Ill and II respectively} It will be noted that when the brassire is worn, the strap section I 5 is carried by and traverses the opposing inner side ll of the cup 10 in theregion of the apex I 8 of such cup. The strap section l5 also extends downwardly and outwardly to the lowerand outer side of the cup andis shown merging with the waist band IZ at l9. Thes-trap section l5 also extends upwardly and outwardly to above the apex I8 and to a zone of connectionwith the shoulder strap l3; The strap section l6sirni-larly but oppositely traverses the cup H so that the mid portions of the strap sections l5,and ,lfipartiallycover the opposing inner sides l1 and 20 of the cups I 0 and II respectively, whereas the lower portions of strap sections l5 and I6 diverge downwardly and out- II are separated and at the same time lifted and" adequately supported.

A simple method of construction is atta" ed-by the use of patterns of the general configuration.

shown in Fig. 3. As there shown, thercup. II] may" comprise an outer side section having a-substantially horizontal lower margin 22: adaptedtto" J l disposedarea may be made of but a single piece cooperate with the waist band I2 anda generally. V-shaped forward margin 23 with the point I8 of such forward margin materially above the lower margin 22. The side section 2! is also provided with an upper'margin 24- whichis virtually parallel to the'lower margin 22 for a portion of its length and at about-the level =of the point I8, such inner side of the cupIIl, a central margin (preferably. concave) as indicated at 29, and along forward margin 30, preferablyincluding a con cavity in the its upper portion. v.

in the form-of construction i1lustrated,..lthe strap 13 and the strap section I5.are shown com-. posed of a single strip of material 33 of virtually uniform width with the strength of the material, or weave, running longitudinally of such strap so as-to be virtually non-yielding longitudinally.- The lower edgeof strap 33 is inclined as-at 34, and one edge, as at 35, may be provided witha reverse curvature, the convex portion. being capable ofv association with the concavity ofthe forward edge 30. of the inner section; I'!. Since the shoulder strap portion I3.-is generally appreciably narrower than the strap section I5, ithas been found desirable to employ a second element 3'! similar in configuration to the lower portion of the element 33, the element. 3! being. of. a length sufficient to cooperate with the lower portion of element 33 so as to act as a lining therefor throughout the area that the strap. portion I5 traverses the pocket or cup Ill.

Thevarious elements I'!, 33, and 2! are connected together so that the lower edges;22,.2'!, and 34 are in alignment, a separate waist band being attached to the lower portions of-members I1; 33, and 2| for reenforcing purposes. The forward edge 23 is then connected to one edge of the element 33, whereas the forward edge of element I! is connected to the margin 35 offthe ele+ ment 33. It will be noted that the inner and outer sections I! and 2| are separated and spaced from each other by the strap section.

A second cup having been made in a similar manner, the margins 29 of the corresponding inner sections I! are suitably attached to each other and a pair of cups for the brassiere are thus attained. It will be understood that suitable darts may be formed in the lower portion of such pocket.

4 section I! so as to give the desired fullness to the pocket.

Fig. 2 shows one manner in which the lining element 3'! is attached to the lower portion of element 33 so as to form the strap section I5. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that atthe zone of apex I8 the strap traverses the podketiasfa partof ther'inneri section and bears against the surface of the breast contained in Obviously, however, minor shifts in position of such strap section, which do not destroy the efficacy and novel mode of operation ofthe structure areembraced by this invention.

Moreover, although the exemplary brassiere has'been described as made of two separate, opposing, inner sections I'! and 20, this centrally of material.

Itmay be noted that the direction of the weave, or the direction in which the material is substantially non-yielding or nonstretchable, has been indicated in dash lines. For example, element 33. is. substantially non-stretchable longie tudinally, whereas element 2!. is substantially non-stretchable in a direction parallel to the lower margin 22. It is also to be understood that the. various margins of the completed brassiere may be suitably stitched, taped,.piped, decorated, etc. and the entire garment may be provided with asuitable lining.

. .'All changes, and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby. I claim:

1..In a brassire made of fiexible,. compliant materials and. including a pair of preformed,- breast-receiving.pockets, a waist band and shoulderjstraps,;the combination of: a strap section carried by .and angularly traversing each breastreceiving pocket, each strap section traversing the upper portion of a pocket in a downward and inward directionfrom a zone of connection with a shoulder strap to a zone displaced inwardly from the apex of the pocket, then changing direction at said zone and traversing the lower portion of the pocketgdownwardly and outwardly to the ,waist band. 2; In a brassiere'made of flexible, compliant material and including a pair of preformed, breast-receivingpockets, a waist band and shoulder straps, the combination of a strap section carried by and angularly'traversing each breast-receivingpocket, each strap section traversing'the upper'portion ofa pocket in a downward and inward direction from a zone of connection with ashoulder strap toga zone displaced inwardly from the apex of the pocket, then changing direction at said zone and traversing the lower portion of the pocket downwardly and outwardly to the waist band, whereby the zone of connection of the lower end of said'strap is displaced outwardly with respect to the zone in the region of the-apex, each of said strap sections being substantially non-yielding longitudinally.

ZELTA M. SILVA.

REFERENCES CITED The'following, references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS "3,305,051 Witkow-er Dec. 15 1942 

